Blogging Through the Alphabet: "E" is for El Roi

So at the beginning of the Blogging Through The Alphabet journey I blogged Adonai for the letter "A" and mentioned that my favorite name for God begins with the letter "E".  El Roi would be my favorite name for God, it means "the God who sees".  It first appears in Genesis 16:13.  Sarah was not able to conceive a child with Abraham so she gives him her servant Hagar who does get pregnant. For some reason after Hagar conceived she began to despise her mistress. Sarah complains to Abraham and he tells her to do with Hagar whatever she wants, so she mistreats her.  Must have been pretty bad, because Hagar runs away.  While she is in the desert an angel appears to her and asks what she is doing to which she replies "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai." The angel tells her that God is aware of her misery but she needs to return to her mistress.  He then gives her a promise that she will bear a son named Ishmael and her descendants will be too many to count.

Hagar then gave a name to the Lord who spoke to her "You are the God who sees me" for she said "I have now seen the One who sees me". (Genesis 16:13)  In Hebrew that would be El Roi (the God who sees me).  I really love knowing that God is a God who knows my misery and He sees me. Nothing escapes his attention, and while I may not understand the reasons that I am going through something, it is comforting to know that whatever it is has already passed through God's hands and he is aware.  Sometimes I question Him with my "why's", but I try to quiet the "why's" and just trust in His promises.  Especially Romans 8:28 "God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him."  I have to remind myself that He did not spare His own Son, and what He went through is much more than anything that I have encountered.

I also remind myself that God did not leave me here alone.  He sent his Son, Immanuel (God with us) which if you Romanize the spelling could be another "E" word Emmanuel :-).  God is not a distant God, one who is hands off and doesn't care.  He is with us, right beside us.  If He allows us to go through a trial, that trial has a purpose.  It may not be for me but could even be for someone else's benefit.  But I can have confidence that whatever it is God will give me the strength I need to see it through until His purposes are accomplished.

Isaiah 40:29-"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Psalm 28:7-"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me."

Psalm 105:4-"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."

Isaiah 40:29-"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Isaiah 40:3-"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Philippians 4:13-"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Ephesians 1:18-19 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead."

Thank God I have an El Roi (a God who sees)!!

Blogging Through The Alphabet:  D is for Death and Delight

Seems like I am not on the same page as those Blogging Through The Alphabet at http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/2015/10/blogging-through-alphabet.html, but I will just keep doing what comes to my mind.  I know seeing the word DEATH as my "D" word might seem rather surprising.  Yesterday I  spent some time with a sweet lady by the name of Mina who has been in hospice for awhile.  They have notified her daughter that she could pass on to the next life at any time.  Mina is a sweet woman who has lived a full life and dearly loves her Lord, Jesus Christ.  But she is concerned because as she said in her own words "I don't know how to die."

I have been thinking about those words since I heard them and I had to ask myself "do any of us know how to die?"  It isn't something we have mastered or have experience with.  But I do think we can take some time to think about it ahead of time.  I do think that those of us who believe that there is something after this life have more to contemplate than those that think you just die and that's it, there is nothing else.  How would you face death then?  But for me, I think those of us that believe there is a better life awaiting us, one in which we get to walk and talk with God for eternity have a lot to contemplate.  We live our lives understanding that this world is not our home.  I do think sometimes we are too attached to this world and we don't set our hearts on things above, as we are told to do in Colossians 3:1-2, "...set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."  We should all be looking forward to our death and the time where we will be with Jesus.  Death is just the door we have to go through to move into our new life, where all will be complete and perfect.

Unfortunately because we live in a world in which sin has caused things to be less than perfect, too many people have to go through some terrible suffering before their reward.  Mina has been in some terrible pain for a few months.  They have tried to give her medications to help, but they couldn't ever come up with anything that would totally take it away.  If you know anyone who has had to journey the cancer battle, it can also be very painful as it progresses.  I remember being by my father in the last days of his life and not understanding why he was having to suffer so much when God could just take him home?  I have still do not have answers to that question, but it made me all the more glad when his time did come to know that he was no longer in pain.  Perhaps that is the reason, to make us be glad our loved ones have been set free.  Otherwise, we would want them to stay with us forever.

So what does it mean to die well?  Mina, my dad and many others have showed me how to do that.  All they can do is talk about wanting to see Jesus.  While they are in terrible pain, that is not their focus.  They want scriptures read to them, they want music sung to them, they want to talk about their Jesus.    Which brings me to my other "D" word DELIGHT.  When Jesus is the Lord of your life you can delight in Him and delight in death.

Today in Bible Study Fellowship we looked at Revelation, Chapter 5.  It is centered around the throne of God.

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

    and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

    be praise and honor and glory and power,

                                        for ever and ever!”

Last week in Chapter 4 we read:

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]

who was, and is, and is to come.”

  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

  

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

    to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

    and by your will they were created

    and have their being.”

Who wouldn't want to be a part of that scene?  So keep your eyes on the prize, and remember this world is not our home.  Remember you have a Savior that went to the cross and conquered Death, so that you wouldn't have to and you can actually Delight in the the knowledge that you will be in His presence one day and will worship Him for eternity!!

 P.S.  Would you please say a prayer for sweet Mina, that she will just close her eyes and wake up in Jesus' arms and that will happen soon!!!

Blogging Through The Alphabet: "C" is for CLARITY

So for the letter "C" for today's Blogging Through the Alphabet, what came to my mind was Clarity.
My Facebook page has been flooded today with people posting concerns and negative remarks about Obama's plan to bring Syrian refugees into the United States.  Some have said 10,000 and others have said 100,000 and I didn't go out to research the actual amount.  The numbers don't matter that much to me.  What matters to me is the fear that is hindering people from seeing the need. 

 I understand the fear in light of the terrorist attacks that we have seen in recent days/weeks/months.  But I am wrestling with what would God want us to do with the families that have had to leave their homes to escape the terror on their own lives and their efforts to protect their own families? I have seen a lot of comments that it is mostly men, but not in the pictures I have been seeing.

  
So all I know to do is pray for clarity.  I am asking God to give our leaders wisdom.  I am asking Him to give us leaders who believe in prayer and seek His direction before making decisions.  Then I am asking Him if we are to take the refugees into our country, states, cities and homes that He make that abundantly clear to all of us.

There are several verses that speak to God's heart for refugees, here are just a few:

• Jeremiah 7:4-12 (NRSV)  Do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors forever and ever.
• Zechariah 7:10 (NRSV) do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
• Malachi 3:5 (NRSV) Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

I also pray that people can have discussions without condemning each other for opposing views.  Guess that would be another "c" word :-)  May God keep His promise to us all "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

I also have faith in God's ability to provide Clarity by keeping another promise " If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 (for me wisdom is another word for clarity)

Father God, give us Your eyes and Your heart.  May we not dismiss those who are in need, but please show us the way to help them and not be filled with fear of the evil that might come along with that.  Our sincerest prayer is that Satan and his evils works will be defeated in the name of our Lord and Savior who has already conquered him.  Thank you, Father! Amen.

Blogging Through the Alphabet: B is for ?

So you will have to read pretty far into my post to see what my letter "B" is for this week of  Blogging Through The Alphabet.  Sticking with my first week theme of a name.  I thought I would just mention some Bible names (oops guess that is also a "B", but not the one I am using for this post :-) )

I think it was Shakespeare who asked "What's In A Name"?  Parents spend a lot of time thinking of a name for their child.  Some kids just get a name that is being passed on and they end up being a Junior.  Always wondered why girls couldn't be a Junior?  I digress.  Anyway in the Bible names actually had meanings attached to them.  Here are some examples:

Some names that were true to their characters:

• Abraham-father of many nations (Ge 17:5)
• Adam-man; human being; red (color of earth) (Ge. 2:19)
• Eve-life;living (Ge. 3:20)
• Ezekiel-God will strengthen (Ez. 1:3)
• Daniel-God is my judge (1 Chr. 3:1)
• David-Believed (Ru. 4:17)
• Gabriel-man of God (Da. 8:16)
• Jacob-supplantar; deceiver, trickster (Ge. 25:26)
• Hannah-grace (1 Sa. 1:2)
• Israel — he will reign with God; he that fights with God; God fights; soldier of God (Ge 32:28)
• Lazarus-God has helped (Luke 16:20)
• Moses-drawn out of the waters (Ex. 2:10)
• Timothy-honoring or worshiping God (2 Co. 1:1)

Who wouldn't want this name based on the meaning? (although I haven't heard of many of them)

• Dara-pearl of wisdom (1 Ch. 2:6)
• Dodavah-love of Jehovah (2 Ch. 20:37)
• Elizaphan-God protects (Nu.3:30)
• Ezekias-Jehovah is strong; strength of Jehovah (Mat. 1:9)
• Hasadiah-whom Jehovah loves; Jehovah is kind (1 Chr. 3:20)
• Ismaiah — Jehovah hears (1Ch. 12:4).
• Jedidiah-beloved of Jehovah (2 Sa. 12:25)
• Jehozabad-Jehovah has given or bestowed (2 Ki. 12:21)
• Joanna-Jehovah has favored (Luke 3:27)
• Tabeal-God is good (Isa.7:6)

Who would want this name?

• Chesil-fool; (fat?) (Jos. 15:30)
• Chozeba-decietful (1 Chr. 4:22)
• Dibri-wordy (Le. 24:11)
• Doeg-fearful; timid;anxious (I Sa. 21:7)
• Gareb-scabby (2 Sa. 23:38)
• Hathath-terror (1 Ch 4:13)
• Hulday-weasel (2 Ki. 22:14)
• Ikkesh-perverse (2 Sa. 23:26)
• Leah-fatigued; wearied (Ge 29:16)
• Mahli-sickly;sick;weak (Nu.3:20)
• Marah-bitterness (Ex. 15:23)

My niece is named Danette Lynn.  It means so much that my sister chose to name her daughter after me.  I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit that she has a little extra space in my heart because of that.

So all of this is to reveal my "B" word........BESSIELYN....that is my name :-)  I was named after my maternal grandmother, Bessie Mae.  When I was a freshman in high school I dropped my name to Lynn (and added an "n"?) just because people were always mispronouncing my name or shortening it to Bessie, which I never liked because of a mean boy in the 6th grade that told me Bessie was the name of Mrs O'Leary's cow that started the 1871 Chicago fire.  Interesting how his story meant more to me than my sweet grandmother that I was named after?  The power of words!  Anyway, all of this leads me to think about my most important name "child of God".  That is who I am! And all because of a loving Savior who in some inconceivable way is also my brother! "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17)

Blogging Through The Alphabet: Letter A

I used to blog quite frequently, but just got out of the habit and decided I would take up a challenge of a friend to spend the next 26 weeks blogging through the alphabet.

Blogging Through The Alphabet (you can read other people's post on the letter A here)

So I begin today with the letter A which will be for Adonai.  I have always enjoyed studying the different names for God.  We lose so much from the original languages that the Bible was written (Old Testament-Hebrew and New Testament-Greek).  They had many more names for God that reflected different aspects of His personality.  I was going to say what my favorite is, but I think I will keep any readers in suspense and reveal it with the letter E :-) 

The first use of the word Adonai in the Bible is found in Genesis 15:2 "But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" Adonai is the plural for the Hebrew word "adon" which translates to "my lord". Thus the word Adonai generally denotes the authority and exalted position of God. Primarily, as it pertains to God, Adonai stress God's relationship with man as Master, Authority and Provider.  If God is Adonai to you, He is the one to whom you submit or bow down; He is the Boss of your life. Adonai is the ultimate authority figure in your life and the One to whom you owe your complete allegiance.

So it begs us to question "Who's the boss of you?",  Most of us don't like to submit to anyone else.  Our culture cries out for us to be "our own person", be self sufficient.  How many times have we tried to see how close we can come to breaking the rules without really breaking them? Isn't our prison system filled with people that thought they could break the rules with no consequences?

It is easy to be submissive when we agree with the rules.  But when God is Adonai, you allow him to have total control and authority.  Your rules then become:

• "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)
•  "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)
•  "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one      separate." (Matthew 19:6)
• "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (Ephesians 6:1)
• "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." (Romans 12:10)

These are just of few of many.  But if we all submitted and did these five, how would our world be different?  If marriages were intact, children obeyed their parents, everyone loved their enemies and tried to outdo one another in showing honor?  It would be transforming.  That is is why it is important for those of us who call God, Adonai to be different.  We are called to be the light in the darkness.  Perhaps that would be easier to do if we remember who is the Master of our lives and what He asks us to submit to.  Who's your boss?